Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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Today, we're turning back the clock and looking at one of the first Linux distributions, Softlanding Linux System, version 1.0.5, released in 1994. While Linux would become one of the most dominant operating systems on the Internet today, it had a rather humble beginning. The rise of Linux distributions would slowly but surely lead to Linux displacing UNIX and becoming a core technology in systems around the world.

Linux distributions would rise in this time, and SLS was the first one that included significant add-on software. For a period of 1993-1994, it was the most popular distribution of its time, as it gave users a "softlanding" from DOS. SLS would become the standard that modern distributions are, and made of the trends that we see in modern Linux began here.

However, time has not been kind to this piece of vintage software, with poor archiving, and difficulties in emulation. As such, NCommander blows the dust off this piece of history in an in-depth tour.

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Credits:

Kernel Image:
By Bobbo - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4392180

Vectored GNU Logo:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heckert_GNU_white.svg
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Attribution: Aurelio A. Heckert

Ethereal Space (cdk Mix) by Analog By Nature (c)
copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
dig.ccmixter.org/files/cdk/34151 Ft: snowflake

"Inspired" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Parametaphoriquement by gmz (c) copyright 2009
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
dig.ccmixter.org/files/gmz/19367 Ft: Morusque

"The Entertainer" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Shiro (Instrumental) by Aussens@iter (c) copyright 2017
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
dig.ccmixter.org/files/tobias_weber/56795 Ft: Hans Montgomery Atom

"Envision" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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